A World Without You
by ddp456
Summary: After an argument with the Mystery Shack Gang, Dipper runs away from home and wishes that they would see how life would be without him. His wish is granted as he stumbles into a new city where Gravity Falls once stood. Gideon has won, and is now ruler of all he surveys. Can Dipper find a way to make things right and return everything back to normal? Thx for reading/reviewing/faving
1. Chapter 1

Dipper Pines ran through the Gravity Falls Forest at an alarming speed. The tears stuck in his eyes started to make his vision blurred. He quickly wiped his eyes as he continued forward.

"Stupid life…" he mumbled to himself. "Stupid family…let's see how far they get without my help…" His legs pumped harder. He didn't care where he was going, as long as it was far, far away from _there_…

No matter how fast the small boy flew through the foliage, it wasn't enough to escape the memory of what just happened. The scene continued to play over and over in Dipper's mind: his great-uncle (or "Grunkle") Stan had gathered all of the Mystery Shack employees in the Gift Shop for an emergency meeting.

"Thank you all for coming…" the elder greeted, "…even though you really didn't have a choice in the matter…"

Wendy sat at her station at the Gift Shop Counter and rolled her eyes at Stan's incredibly lame comment. Soos stood on the opposite side of the room and coughed into his fist.

"Anyways," Stan continued. "We are gathered here today to discuss recent matters that have plagued our beloved Shack…" His eyes lowered towards Dipper and Mabel sitting on the wooden floor, "…or i.e. _what Dipper did_…"

Dipper rose to his feet in order to defend himself, "Grunkle Stan, I know that I messed up!" He looked around the room, "I admit it; I made a bad judgment call…"

"Bad judgment call?!" The old man questioned. "You tried to perform an exorcism! And worse, on the most dreaded person in all of Gravity Falls: _the tax collector_!"

"He was speaking in tongues!"

"He was having an allergic reaction to whatever you sprayed him with!"

"It was just holy water…" Dipper groaned, "…among other things…"

"Either way, kid, thanks to you, we're getting _an audit_!"

"Wait!" Mabel interjected. "Why's it so bad that we're getting a _car_?"

There was a brief silence as all the Mystery Shack gang silently stared at the confused girl. Stan started again a moment later, "_Anyways_, you really stepped in it this time, kid!"

"Sorry, Grunkle Stan, but I was positive that he was really a –"

Stan threw out his arms in frustration, "And this is where the problem stems from! You see ghosts and goblins and other craziness _everywhere, _and I for one, have had it!"

Dipper saw everyone focused on him alone. He held his hands up, "Okay! Okay, guys! I screwed up! I already owned up to it! But, what about all of the times I was _right_ about these things?" He looked around to each of his family and friends, "All of you have experienced something weird in this town with me at least _once_, so can we stop acting like I'm making all this up?"

The room fell deathly silent as Dipper and Stan maintained their stand-off. Dipper broke his eye-contact as he sensed movement by his feet. His eyes widen as he watched as his twin get up and head towards their great-uncle.

"Mabel!"

Stan laughed as patted his niece on the shoulder, "That's right; join the winning team…"

"It's not that you're wrong about this stuff, Dipper…" Mabel explained with a frown, "It's just that you have a way of taking these things too far! There's _always_ a spooky adventure or a creepy mystery, and sometimes, it gets…_old_."

Dipper couldn't believe his ears! "But…Mabel!"

"They kinda got a point, dude…" Soos interrupted as he went to stand by his employer. "I'd say your mistake was spraying the guy _before_ he made his assessment…"

"You see, kid! I'm not the only one that fed up with this garbage!" He smiled as he looked out the corner of his eye at his last target, in an effort to hit his nephew below the belt.

"Isn't that right, _Wendy_?"

Wendy's eyes shot open as her name was mentioned. Her freckled face turned a pale white, "Who, me?"

"Yeah, you!" Stan demanded an answer from his teenaged worker, pointing his cane straight at her, "What says you? Does he go over the top with this nonsense or not?"

She bit her lip as she turned away from the group and towards her distraught friend. He looked up with Wendy with pleading eyes. Dipper hated this! Watching his crush being stuck in the middle reminded him of when all of her friends ganged up on her during their stay at the haunted Dusk2Dawn convenience store.

"Um…"

After a few moments of deliberation and awkward stillness, Wendy pushed herself away from her counter and came around the other end. She stopped in between the two sides and sighed to herself. She gazed one last look at Dipper before moving towards Stan's group. Wendy stood at Soos's side…

"Sorry, Dip…" she stumbled, "…but sometimes…I mean…a little bit…"

"HA!" Stan prided. "They all think the same as _me_!" He lowered his weight on his custom 8-ball cane, "What do you have to say for yourself now?!"

Dipper was still in shock over Wendy's "betrayal." He couldn't contain all of the anger and sadness swelling within his small frame.

"FINE!" he made a swiping motion with his tiny hand towards the others. "If that's the way all of you feel, then so be it! I'm done! I'm _so_ done!"

He opened the gift shop door exit, "From now on, _you're all on your own_! The next time something crazy happens around here, you can just deal with it yourselves!"

As Dipper slammed the door shut, Wendy called out, "Dipper, wait a sec!"

Stan held out his cane to halt her, "Let him go. He'll come back sooner or later! Mark my words: he'll probably be crying his eyes out about a scrapped knee or a bee sting."

Soos clapped his hands and chuckled, "Hey that rhymes!"

Stan's face dropped, "That was unintentional." He spun around and bellowed, "As for everyone else, GET BACK TO WORK!"

Mabel and Soos followed Stan back through the parlor door before parting to do their individual chores. Wendy remained alone in the gift shop, her gloomy green eyes focused on the exit her partner in crime used moments before as guilt crept in through the back of her mind…

Dipper shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts. He looked up to the cloud-filled sky, "This will show them! I wish…_I wish…they would see how it would be without me in their lives_…" He forced out a laugh, "Yeah, right!" He blew air between his lips, "If anything, those guys would probably think it would the best thing ever if I fell off the face of the earth!"

*THUD*

A second later, Dipper found himself face first in the dirt. He turned around to see that his sneaker literally crashed through the soft forest floor. He pulled himself up in an effort to pry his foot loose.

"Come on!" he strained. "The last thing I need is to be stuck in the mud!"

Dipper stood upright to better adjust. As he put more weight on the spot, a creaking sound started to rise up.

"What was that?!"

Suddenly, Dipper let out a high-pitch scream as the ground gave away beneath his feet. He slid uncontrollably down a deep decline. Dipper held his hands up to his face to avoid getting hit by loose twigs and branches.

He flew over a small ledge, only to land directly on a small bump. The momentum flipped the small detective, making him roll down head over feet.

"WWWWHHHHOOOOAAAA!"

*CRASH!*

Dipper opened his eyes as the sun's light seemed to tease him. He slowly got up and found his balance. He felt extremely dizzy and even nauseous.

"Ohh, my head!" he bemoaned as each hand grasped a temple. While trying to become focused, Dipper turned around to see where exactly he fell from. Instead of finding some sort of slide, an enormous hill stood in its place.

"That…was _insane_!" He thought to himself. "Who hides a secret passageway in the middle of the woods? Or better yet, _why_?"

Seeing that he was completely blanketed with grass and dirt, Dipper bent down to wipe himself off.

"I wonder how far I strayed from town?" He spun around on his heels, only to be left speechless.

Instead of finding more of the Oregon wilderness, Dipper found himself standing before a towering metropolis! Huge gray and light blue skyscrapers seemed to stretch as high as the skyline itself. Cleanly paved roads were swarmed with dozens of the latest high-tech automobiles. Countless people flocked back and forth; the populace was busy, and yet maintained a type of quiet.

Intrigued, Dipper slid further down the hill and drew closer to the new landmark. "What is this place? You'd think that Stan would say something about _an entire city_ booming right next door to Gravity Falls; if not for the business aspects alone!"

Dipper walked into the purple-shaded sidewalk and made his way into the city. At the entrance, a huge white billboard greeted him:

**WELCOME TO G-CITY!  
POPULATION: YOU!  
"Once you're here, you'll never want to leave!"**

"G-City, huh?" Dipper inquired. "Seems like a really lame name for such a cool-looking place!" He ambled further down the street, peeking excitedly into every window. Each contained a different and extremely eloquent shop. "Food, clothing, high-end electronics…incredible!" Granted, such things were an everyday occurrence in his hometown of Piedmont, but in contrast, Gravity Falls was supported by nothing but mom-n-pop shops. One could not find a brand name of any type while there.

As Dipper went along his way, he noticed something off about the people surrounding him. No matter who he passed, men or women, adult or child, every single one sported the same suede blue outfit and wore the exact scary smile. They did not even acknowledge the differently-dressed pre-teen before them.

"Weird…" commented Dipper. "Maybe it's some cult thing…or the latest underground fashion movement."

Dipper heard a nasally voice screeching over what sounded like an intercom nearby. He followed the sound around the corner until he found a strange exhibit:

"A HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT FOUNDER OF G – CITY"

He walked into a hollowed out end of a building. The outer wall of the indent was blanketed with several rows of video monitors replaying the same infomercial over and over. In between, there were various statues placed all around, each having their own personal information booth; the majority involved a sort of miniature hero in warrior armor.

As Dipper continued to explore, he heard the voice over began its loop again:

"G – City continues to grow and prosper in a new age utopia, all in thanks to its leader and founder, _Gideon Charles Gleeful_!"

Dipper immediately spun around to see that the image of his nine-year-old arch nemesis covered every television set. "WHAT?!"

"My story is one of modest beginnings…" Gideon narrated. The screen shifted to that of the Tent of Telepathy, "I started out as a simple, traveling entertainer until I came upon a tiny town called Gravity Falls…." The monitor displayed another image reflecting a photograph of the town's main street slowly morphing into the city that lay before Dipper. Gideon's story continued, "It was through divine intervention that I was able to work with the kind and gentle people of Gravity Falls and change their world for all the better!" A new picture formed on-screen of Gideon being joyfully hoisted into the air by the townspeople of Gravity Falls. Dipper noted that one of the folks photographed was none other than Wendy's father, the burly lumberjack Manly Dan. "For my contributions, the people of Gravity Falls fell in love with me, and I loved them back!"

"Yeech!" Dipper stuck out his tongue in disgust. He heard the background music change melody to reflect a more serious, somber tone. The original chronicler matched the new pace, "But times weren't always so bright…"

Dipper's mouth opened at the next scene. A screenshot of his Grunkle Stan was shown on the multiple TVs. Gideon's voice explained further, "Stanford Pines and I met as friendly rivals, but as I learned more about his private life, I discovered that he planned a horrible fate for Gravity Falls. As the people's champion, I moved to put an end to his wickedness _forever_!"

Flustered, Dipper threw himself against the wall of televisions, "You _killed_ Grunkle Stan?!"

As if Gideon heard him, the imagery laughed at Dipper's reaction, "Not to worry, dear viewer. I'm not one to cruelly take a life. I only sealed him away! He pointed towards the screen, "To learn the true fate of Stan Pines, all you need is to turn around…"

Dipper followed the instructions and winched backwards at the sight before him. In one of the statue displays, his Grunkle Stan stood frozen for all eternity in what resembled carbonite. As Dipper mourned the dreadful state of his great-uncle, he heard Gideon moving forward,

"His lackey was the only one to try to fight for his friend. When defeated, he asked to share in his outcome. Being the considerate person that I am, I was more than happy to abide by his simple request…"

Dipper looked downwards and gasped upon the sight of his friend and co-worker Soos. The poor man-child was immobilized in a kneeling position at Stan's feet, positioned as if he was begging for mercy.

"Man…" Dipper asked himself, "How the heck did I miss this thing?"

As he analyzed their confinement, the storyteller went onwards, "However, it was through this experience that Gideon was able to meet the love of his life…"

Dipper's gaze went back to the electronic wall, "Please don't let it be _who_ I think it is; _please_!"

His hopes were instantly dashed as the form of his twin sister was plastered on every screen, "…young Gideon was hopelessly enthralled from the first time he laid eyes on Stan's niece, Mabel." The wall's imagery soon was plastered with that of Mabel and Gideon sitting hand-in-hand on a pink loveseat. Gideon giggled into the microphone, "Yep, it took a couple of tries and courtings, but I was finally able to capture her heart…" He reached up and adjusted his collar, "Plus, it didn't hurt to get _some extra help from my lucky bowtie_, did it, marshmallow?"

Mabel looked up and slowly answered her companion in a robotic voice, "Yes…Gideon…it…did…not…"

Dipper pulled at his hair as he watched the cringe-inducing scene, "How could she – I mean…" His eyes focused on Gideon yanking on his pendant – the same _mind-controlling_ pendant that Mabel destroyed earlier.

"Could Gideon have made another one?" Dipper wondered. "Is this how he got Mabel to go along with all of this?"

A close-up of his despised rival stretched over all of the screens simultaneously. "Because of my endless efforts, the people of Gravity Falls chose me to lead them into a new scale of peace and unity. My G-City is the result, a strong and independent nation, free of the cruel tyranny of the local and national governments…."

The stunned boy stared as footage played of several tanks, aircrafts, and even missiles approaching the odd city. Before they even came close, each exploded without any rhyme or reason!

"What?! What was – "

"Of course, I have my own ways keeping their pesky little noses out of our business…"

The video concluded by reflecting the wicked mastermind sitting comfortably on a recliner conveniently placed next to a fireplace.

"By now, you have only seen a fraction of what we can accomplish when we work together, fair citizens of G-City. It is my privilege and absolute honor to be the person to lead us into the future…"

The camera zoomed in on his deceptive, chubby face, "…for the way I see it, today, G-City; tomorrow, _the world_!"

He waved good-bye to the viewer, "Until next time…"

As the video began to loop over, Dipper felt like he was losing his mind. He held his hands to his head as it throbbed in agony.

_"This is crazy!"_

In a state of confusion and outrage, Dipper ran from the exhibit and stumbled into the streets, crashing into the passerbyers,

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, "WHY WOULD YOU LET HIM DO THAT TO YOU?!" The townsfolk simply walked past the raving child while maintaining their eerie grins. Dipper grabbed an older male by his blue shirt and shook him, "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT HE REALLY IS? OR WHAT HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOU?"

Unlike the other commuters, the man slightly lowered his head while preserving his beam. "Kid, you need to control yourself before _they_ come for you…" he warned through gritted teeth.

"Who's coming? What are you talking about?"

The man rose, "I've already said too much…" With that, he continued on his way.

"Wait!" Dipper demanded. "What do you mean? Why are you people so afraid to say something?!"

A split second later, he was roughly tackled to the ground from behind. Dipper tried to rise, but he felt a knee in his back.

"HEAD DOWN! HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK!"

Dipper tried to turn his head to see, "What are you do – "

The voice screamed louder in his ear and pushed his face down to the pavement, "I SAID HEAD DOWN! HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK!"

His arms were roughly pulled behind him and secured. The hard pressure against his spine finally let up.

"ON YOUR FEET!"

Dipper was yanked upwards by his blue vest. He raised his head to see that a muscular man in a grey uniform stood before him. His face was protected by a matching grey helmet with white coverings. Black shoulder guards extended from his arms. Comparable colored gloves and boots topped off his armoring.

Since he was still restrained, Dipper guessed that a similar person was positioned behind him.

"Are you guys supposed to be cops or someth – "

"CITIZEN OF G-CITY! YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF SPEAKING OUT AGAINST OUR GREAT LEADER!"

Dipper shot back, "On whose authority? Found guilty by what court? There is such a thing as freedom of speech, pal!"

He cried out as a quick slap was delivered to the back of his head, "You're in the wrong nation, egghead!"

The first officer continued on, "YOU ARE SENTENCED TO REPORT FOR REHABILIZATION AT ONCE!

The worried tween tried to step forward, "Hang on a –" only to be dragged off his feet. Dipper shouted to the outside world, "YOU CAN'T! DON'T LET GIDEON DO THIS!"

Once more, the citizens of G-City ignored the distraction in front of them and went on their creepily smiling ways. Dipper lowered his head in defeat as he was led away. As they walked, he could hear the conversation of the two officers coming from overhead:

"Man, they just keep getting weirder, aren't they?"

"Nah, this shrimp is nothing in comparison to _those other guys_…"

*KA-BOOM!*

Dipper, the patrolmen, and all the nearby citizens were knocked to the ground. A giant explosion erupted from one of the stores across the street. Pieces of flaming debris and broken glass flew through the air and onto the streets.

Finally, the inhabitants of the town finally broke their façade. A large outcry echoed throughout the city streets as they ran in various directions away from the violent scene.

"Darn rebels!" The lead officer shouted to the one holding Dipper at bay, "I'll go check the scene out. You bring that brat back to HQ!"

As he ran towards the fire, Dipper was pulled away further.

"Hey," he tried convincing his captor, "Don't you wanna help your friend out. Y'know, see if there are any hurt civilians or anything like that?"

The grip on Dipper was tightened, "Nice try, punk!" The overpowered lad was pulled into an alley close by, "Don't you worry; you'll get what's coming to you soon enough…"

Dipper struggled against his captor for freedom, providing the perfect distraction as a shadowy figure snuck up from the darkness and quickly incapacitated the officer.

"BAH!"

The pre-teen jumped back as the soldier fell down at his side. He turned around to see his rescuer. The tall and slender hero wore a similar armor to that of the corrupt lawman, except it was pure black and had been severely worn out. A corresponding helmet with face plate concealed their identity.

"Are you alright, kid?" a muffled voice asked from within the shell.

Dipper shyly rubbed his shoulder, "Umm, I think so…"

His liberator snatched his hand, "Good…" The sounds of police sirens grew louder. "…cause we have to go, NOW!"

With that, the black warrior ran through the alley, dragging Dipper along for the ride, "H – H – HEEYYYYY!"

They stopped at the edge of the nearest building. Dipper soon found a gloved hand covering his mouth.

"SHH! Do you want to get us caught?"

A squadron of police cruisers zoomed right past the duo. "You see?!"

Dipper nodded in response as he was led by the hand around the corner. There was nothing there but a few garbage cans and a completely gratified wall.

"A dead end?!" Dipper looked up at his redeemer. "Now what do we do?"

He watched as the slim figure pulled back their right glove, revealing a wristwatch. A button was pressed, and all of a sudden, Dipper watched as the wall began to shake.

"No way…"

The top and bottom of the dead end opened, revealing a secret passage!

"Neat…" Before Dipper could fully take in the incredible sight, he was yanked inside the entrance. The doors quickly shut as the two ran pass. Exhausted, both leaned against the closest wall and let out a huge exhale.

"That…that was a close one!"

"No kidding…"

The black suited fighter fumbled with its helmet. Dipper lifted his head upwards, "Thanks - *HUFF* - Thanks for the save back there! I guess I owe you one, huh?"

The covering came off with a gentle *POP*

"Don't mention it, small fry. It's what we do!"

Dipper gasped in shock as the true identity of his knight in worn out armor was revealed; his stunned brown eyes met the emerald ones of his secret crush, Wendy Corduroy!


	2. Chapter 2

Dipper Pines was left flabbergasted by the situation at hand.

It was only a few hours ago in which he had a huge argument with his family and friends at the Mystery Shack. Everyone "seemingly" turned against him after he fumbled up one of his supernatural based investigations. He ran from the Shack in rage, wishing that the world would see how things would be without his influence.

Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to give the heartbroken boy his wish.

While traveling through the Gravity Falls Woods, Dipper accidentally fell down a passageway hidden in the forest floor and bumped his head. Upon awaking, he found himself standing before a giant municipality where the small town of Gravity Falls originally stood. As Dipper explored the fancy, yet peculiar capital, he learned the awful truth.

His younger rival, Lil' Gideon, had been left unchecked and swiftly taken over the quiet, unprepared burg. He also left both his Grunkle Stan and his handyman, Soos, to a ghastly fate. Perhaps the most horrifying detail was the fact that the evil mastermind that apparently hypnotized his twin sister Mabel into being his girlfriend!

As Dipper spoke out against these atrocities, he was immediately accosted by the local police. Just as he was being hauled away, a huge fireball rose up from the other side of the street. During the distraction, Dipper was rescued by a mysterious person in black armor, who led the distraught boy into a hidden hideaway. Just as he was expressing his thanks, the mysterious rescuer revealed herself to be none other than Dipper's secret love, Wendy Corduroy.

Upon recognition, Dipper's eyes lit up. He raced towards the unsuspecting redhead and ferociously hugged her mid-section.

"Oh, Wendy!" He rejoiced. "Thank – Thanks heavens it's you!" He squeezed even tighter, "I thought you'd been turned into one of those zombies out there!"

Wendy raised an eyebrow to the over-affectionate boy at her waist. "Okay, buddy…" she tried to calm Dipper as she slipped out of his grasp, "…I can tell that you really appreciate the rescue, but let's try not to get _too_ clingy…"

She took a few steps back from her admirer, "By the way, how did you know my name?"

Dipper's heart sunk into his knees, "Wendy…you don't remember me _at all_?"

The ginger simply shook her head.

Dipper took a step forward, using his hands to point at himself, "But, Wendy! It's me, Dipper! You know: _your dork, your dweeb, your doofus, your Dipping Sauce_?"

Her green eyes widen due to his dejected tone, "I'm sorry, buddy, but _I've never seen you before in my life_…"

Dipper was nearly knocked off his feet. "What is going on?! Gideon has full control of Gravity Falls?! Wendy has no memory of me at all?! It's like I never existed…" He fumbled his words as he recalled his angry, tear-soaked wish as he fled through the forest:

"_I wish…they would see how it would be without me in their lives…"_

He gasped at his realization, "Oh my…_I did this_…"

"What?!" Wendy asked, totally baffled by the child before her.

He looked up at her, "_I_ did this to you, to Mabel, Soos, and Stan. Heck, to the entire town. It's my fault that things are the way they are! I was never there to stop Gideon in the first place!"

Feeling sorry for the vivid boy quivering in front of her, Wendy dropped to one knee and placed her gloved hands on Dipper's shoulders, "Look, man. I'm not sure what's going on, but if there's one thing that _I do know_, it's that everything that's going on outside is due to that little psychopath. There's no way it has the slightest bit to do with you…"

Dipper reached up and placed his hands on top of hers, "But Wendy…" He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Perhaps, it's better if I start at the beginning…"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight…" Wendy confirmed as she stood with crossed arms and her back against the wall, "You say you're from a different version of Gravity Falls; one where you defeated this Gideon creep…"

"On several occasions…" Dipper added.

"Uh-huh…and in this world or dimension or whatever, you are the grand-nephew of Stan Pines, my old boss?"

"Yep!"

"…by which you say that you're also the twin brother of Mabel Pines, the goofy little girl I knew for like a week before Gideon warped her mind?"

"You got it!"

"So," Wendy smiled at the pre-teen, "How exactly do you and I know each other?"

"Oh, umm…" Dipper blushed at her question. "Well, technically, we're co-workers, and I guess you could call us…uh…_close friends_…"

"Really?"

Dipper nodded, but felt desperate to change the subject, "…but a lot of the time, you hang out with a lot of the other teenagers in Gravity Falls…" Dipper counted on his fingers, "I've met Thompson, and Nate, and Lee…"

"Hmm…" Wendy rubbed her fingers against her chin. "You know what…Dipper, was it? I think I have something that you need to see!"

"Wait! You actually believe me?" Dipper asked.

"Kid, I live in a world where a fanatical nine-year-old dictator holds the rest of the world at bay with magical powers." She winked at him, "Trust me, your story is _far_ from the craziest thing I'd ever heard!"

With that, the determined girl clutched Dipper's hand and escorted him through a maze of connected corridors. A solid steel covering resembling a makeshift door was found at the end of the pathway. Wendy took a few paces forward.

"Let's see…" she struck out her tongue as she knocked on the covering, "Shave…and a hair…cut…two bits!"

The door swung open with a screeching creak sound. Wendy made her way inside and closed the entry behind Dipper tightly.

"Wow…"

Wendy prided herself by Dipper's reaction, "Welcome to the Resistance!"

Within the ruined building, a makeshift tactical center had been hollowed out. He analyzed his surroundings and was amazed by the sight before him. "Bedrooms, bathrooms, an entertainment room…" Dipper peeked around the edge, "…even a war room complete with maps and computer equipment!" Despite the rustic surrounding, it wasn't such a shabby accomplishment, considering that it was done by a group of teenagers.

He looked back at his main squeeze with a sense of whimsy, "How did she do all of this by herself?"

"Hey, guys! I'm back!"

Seconds later, Wendy's crew came out of the various rooms. Dipper's eyes rose up as he recognized Thompson, Lee, and Nate.

"Wendy!"

"Welcome back, Wendy!"

"Who's this?"

She put an arm behind Dipper to propel him forward, "Guys, this is Dipper." Wendy extended her arm outwards, "Dipper, this is the gang, but I think you already know them…"

The three boys looked at one another confusedly. After a brief silence, Nate spoke up, "Wendy, what's going on?"

"Guys…" Wendy explained, going back behind Dipper and placing her hands on his shoulders, giving him rosy cheeks, "…this is going to sound insane, but I think Dipper's the key to stopping Gideon once and for all!"

Once more, the three shared a worried look, and returned their attention to their leader.

"Uhh…"

"Not gonna lie, Wendy; I'm not seeing it…"

"_He's_ probably going to flip out over this…"

Wendy laughed and waved away their concerns, "I'm telling you guys, I've got a gut feeling about this…"

Suddenly, a voice from behind shouted over, making Dipper jump in reflex:

"What's with the kid?! Are we starting a babysitting service or what?!"

The voice sounded familiar to Dipper. Slowly, he turned around with a hope in his heart, _"Please don't be him. Please don't be him…"_

Sure enough, he looked upwards to meet the stern-looking stare of Robbie V.

"Dipper," Wendy introduced, "I'm not sure if you already know him, but this is Robbie, my lieutenant, and…" The ginger became flushed as she finished, "…my boyfriend."

Wendy rushed from Dipper's side and placed a gentle kiss on Robbie's pocked-filled check. The goth in body armor didn't seem to notice his girlfriend's sign of affection. He maintained his almost-sinister glare towards the twelve-year-old.

"I must be cursed or something," Dipper bemoaned to himself. "Even in a wacked-up parallel dimension, I can't escape _this_!"

"Robbie," Wendy continued, "This is Dipper. I saved him earlier today from a rehabilitation squad. I think that he can help us with our cause!"

His sights finally broke away from the pre-teen, "Hehe…I'm sure…" Robbie placed his arm around Wendy, "Listen, can I have a quick word with you in the other room privately?"

The couple walked down the hall and turned out of sight. As soon as they were out of earshot, their three friends moaned in harmony, "Ooohh!"

Dipper turned around with unease in his voice, "What? What did that mean?"

Lee provided some insight, "You see, little dude, their relationship kinda makes the whole "leadership" thing a bit complicated…"

"How so?"

Thompson bit his lip, "It's like this. Wendy is our de facto leader. I mean, we each have our own role in this team; mine being computer duty for example, but she was the one that organized and joined us all together. The problem with that is that Robbie and Wendy seem to have different opinions about our approach to the Gideon problem…"

"Yeah," Nate chirped in, "Robbie's more of a "hands-on, guns-a-blazin'" kind of guy, while Wendy acts very carefully and cautiously…"

The three simply shrugged, "Hey, Dipper," Lee offered, "We're going to hit the break room. Thompson's finally broke through the censorship and found _real_ channels instead of that G-TV propaganda crap. Care to join us?"

Dipper turned away, his mind focused on the well-being of his secret crush, "Nah, guys. Thanks anyways, but I think I'll wait for Wendy to come back."

"Suit yourself…" With that, the boys retired to the next room. After a few minutes on his own, Dipper's curiosity got the best of him. He tip-toed down the hall until he heard voices shouting in the background:

"Don't ya think this is kinda putting all of our eggs in one basket?"

"Come on, Robbie! You didn't hear him! He knew things about my life that no one else would know."

"For all you know, he could be one of those freaks, like a spy or something. I'm telling you, Wendy; _there's something about that kid I just don't like_!"

"It may seem odd, but he's the only shot we have! My gut's telling me…"

"Your gut's been wrong before! Here we are, almost a year later, in the same spot we were when we started, Wendy!"

"We've been over this, Robbie! If we go for a straight-forward attack, we'll be wiped out before we know what hit us!"

"And as if working piece-by-piece is any better. Just because it didn't work for _some people_…"

"_She_ was more than "_some people_!' Half the people that disappear into his complex don't come back, and those that do are nothing more than mindless drones. It's my responsibility to ensure the safety of this team!"

"Who says it's your choice to decide who does what?! The way this sideshow keeps going, you're going to get all of us _killed…or worse_!"

"That's it, Robbie! If you have a problem with the way I lead this team, then you can hit the bricks!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

Dipper heard approaching footsteps and ducked behind the corner. He could hear Robbie grumbling under his breath as he performed the secret knock to open the passageway. As soon as he left, Dipper slumped downwards and rested his head on his knees.

"Poor Wendy…" Dipper lamented. "I'm not here for more than an half an hour, and I'm already causing problems for her…"

In his self-imposed darkness, Dipper felt something nudge the side of his leg. He raised his head to see Wendy looking down on him.

"So, tell me…" she said with an exhausted beam on her dimpled face, "Is Robbie right? Are you some sort of secret spy sent to expose us from the inside out?"

"WHAT?!" Dipper shrieked, holding his hands up in defense, "No! Of course not! I mean, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I heard you yelling and I was – "

"Dude, relax!" Wendy calmed him, "I was just yanking your chain."

"Oh…"

Wendy slid down the wall to be at Dipper's level. She sighed aloud, "You know, I didn't ask for all of this…"

"Huh?"

Her green eyes shined, "It's not like someone said, "Hey, who wants to lead a rag-tag group of teens against a megalomaniac," and I raised my hand, going "Oo-Oo!" All of this was dropped into my lap. One day, I'm slacking off at a tourist trap, working for peanuts, and the next, my whole world was taken away. The guys and I noticed something was wrong out there, and nobody believed us until it was too late…" Wendy stared into the distance, "And since everyone is too scared to strike back, we're the only ones fighting to make things right again…"

Dipper was reminded of his own plight, "Yeah," he sighed. "I know what that feels like…"

"Really?"

He nodded in response. He looked back at Wendy, "I'm sorry that you and Robbie fought over me…"

"PSSH!" Wendy shooed his worry, "It's no big deal. Even though we argue about the group, deep down, I know Robbie cares about me, and in the end, that's all that matters…" She playfully nudged Dipper, "I'm sure you know what that's like. After all, _you probably have someone back home who you feel that way about, right?_"

"Heh…" In his nervousness, Dipper forced himself to look away from the inquisitive redhead in fear that she may learn the awful truth. "Kinda…" He fiddled with his fingers in bashfulness, "As a matter of fact, _we_ had a small…uh…"thing" before I left."

Wendy snuggled closer to Dipper, "Pray tell…"

"Well," Dipper enlightened. "Before all of this happened, I screwed something up really badly, and everyone started to gang up on me…"

"Ouch…"

"Yeah. Anyways, she was minding her business until they forced her into choosing a side. I could see the hesitation in her face; that she didn't want to decide, but in the end, she was peer-pressured into joining up with them."

"I'm sorry…"

Dipper looked up at the apologetic teenager. Despite not being _his_ Wendy, he figured that this was the closest thing that the universe would give resembling some sort of closure.

"Thanks, but it's okay. I mean, I know that she was right, but at the same time…" He let out a huge exhale, "…I just thought that she'd always be on _my_ side, _right or wrong_. I mean, I'd do that for her in a heartbeat…"

Wendy slid her arm around the brokenhearted boy at her side, making him redden, "To me, kid, it sounds like you and I are in the same boat…"

"Yeah…"

After a moment of silence, Wendy rose to her feet. She offered a hand downwards, "I think it's time to show you what you we've been working on…"

Dipper took Wendy's gloved hand and stood up. He followed her as she passed the rec room. Wendy banged on the open door and shouted inside, "Your keisters in the war room, pronto!"

A collective groan could be heard throughout the entire base.

Wendy led Dipper into the room and extended her hand towards a seat. Dipper plopped him into a chair, while she chose to lean against a nearby console. Moments later, Thompson, Lee, and Nate stumbled into the room and sat down at the table where Dipper was waiting.

"About time!" Wendy commented with her arms on her hips. She looked in Thompson's direction, "Now that we're situated, can you please bring up the specs for _Operation: Sucker Punch_ on the big screen?"

As Thompson made his way to the computer terminal, Nate stood up to interject, "Wait a sec now!" He pointed down at Dipper, "Is it a good idea to let the short fry in on all the details?"

Dipper maintained his silence. Even now, he didn't know his place just yet.

"Hey, now!" Wendy argued back. "I'm telling you; he knows all of the secrets that keep Gideon one step ahead!"

As Thompson fiddled with the knobs, he turned his head slightly, "He may have a point, Wen. How exactly do we know he's legit?"

All eyes suddenly became focused on Dipper. Feeling challenged, Wendy shuddered in response, "Well, I don't, but then…"

Dipper knew that he had to prove himself. The last thing he wanted was to have Wendy stuck in the middle _again_.

"That's okay, Thompson, but tell me this…" He stood up on his seat and pointed, "…do you still sneak off and drink the liquid butter at the movie theater?"

The room gasped in hushed laughter as the portly operator rotated around, "WAIT, WHAT?!" He shouted to the accusing boy, "How did you –" He stopped as he watched his friends cover their mouths in order to stifle their mirth. "That's totally NOT true!"

Wendy wiped away a tear from her eye, "I take it there are no other objections?"

Lee offered his support, "I'm with ya, kid!"

Nate nodded in agreement, "So, tell us, where does a nine-year-old kid get psychic powers from? Freak accident? Radioactive waste?"

"Actually neither," Dipper explained. "You see, Gideon neither is nor was he ever psychic. You know those pins he gives out at those shows? They're really microscopic cameras that spy on your every move. That's why people think that he's a mind reader…"

Wendy's face grew white, "My dad's always wearing his pin. That would explain how he was…" She traveled off before shaking her head clear. "Never mind…" She glanced back at Thompson, "Could he really have the tech to do that?"

He crossed his arms and closed his eyes to think, "It…does make sense. It would explain why we always get mixed signals with our equipment. Think about it: there could be thousands of those things here in town!"

"Okay, okay!" Lee butted in. "Then where does all of his "ki-net-tic" abilities come from? I've seen that kid crush a battleship by blinking an eye!"

Dipper sat back, "That I don't know all the details just yet, but the source of his power is that ugly white necktie he always wears. With it, he has telekinesis and mind control…." He exhaled heavily, "I think that's how he's controlling Mabel's mind…"

The boys' expressions changed. Nate asked, "You mean you know that girl Gideon keeps at his side like a little lapdog?"

"She's my twin sister…"

"That's perfect!" Thompson exclaimed from his computer station. He raced over to Dipper's side, "Can I borrow your hand for a second?"

Dipper held out his arm, "Well, yeah, but why…"

A second later, Thompson pulled out a clamp-like device and shoved it onto Dipper's index finger.

"OW!"

He hurried back to the computer as Dipper stuck his injured digit in his mouth.

Wendy barked at the excited programmer, "What did I tell you about doing mad scientist-y stuff? Especially on guests?"

"But Wendy," Thompson argued. "This proves that you were right_! He is the one_ that can help us with "the plan."

Dipper held a hand up, "Hang on; everyone keeps talking about this secret plan." He looked around the room, "Can anyone clue me in?"

Wendy walked over to Dipper and lowered herself down to meet him at eye-level, "Dipper, how would you like to do something incredibly noble?"

Out of jumpiness, he forced himself away from his main squeeze's line of sight, "Heh…I…I guess…"

Wendy shouted back to Thompson, "Show 'im!"

Dipper heard the sounds of typing from a keyboard on the other side of the room. Within seconds, a wire-framed map was displayed on the big monitor.

"This…" Thompson detailed. "…is a scale of Gideon's stronghold." He clicked on the console to show the image at every angle. "As you can see, it is entirely impregnable, except…"

The picture zoomed in to highlight narrow, red lines stretched across the complex. "…for this: a tiny ventilation shaft that encompasses the entire building."

Wendy chimed in, "We're way too big to fit into those shafts, but someone the size of a child…"

"Like me?" Dipper guessed.

"You got it; you could slide in and out without being detected!"

"That sounds great, but what exactly is it do you need me to do?"

Thompson placed a grey, oval shaped object onto the table, "These are called disruptor disks. I whipped up these babies in order to do some major damage in a small package…" He looked up with a spark in his eye, "I'm sure you saw our demonstration earlier today in the town square?"

Dipper analyzed the piece until he heard the last part, "You mean…IT'S A BOMB?!" He instantly dropped it loudly on the table.

"No, no!" Thompson waved his hands, "It's not a bomb. What it does is create a static that ignites a form of electrical fire." He walked back to the console and hit a button. Four flashing circles appeared on the displayed map.

Wendy narrated deeper, "We need you to place these disks in key areas in Gideon's fortress in order to take out his operations once and for all!"

"But what was all that stuff about my finger?"

Thompson smiled and tossed a small, plastic item at Dipper. The boy fumbled for a few seconds before finally gripping it tightly. It was a form of weird identification card with his sister's picture on it.

"A Mabel ID card? I don't…"

"It's like this, Dipper," his redheaded crush enlightened, "Everyone that goes in and out of that building gets scanned. Their DNA has to match the same found within the ID; otherwise, the system sets off an alarm. This "Mabel" girl has restriction clearance only second to Gideon himself. Since you say that she is your twin, your guys' DNA should be nearly the same, meaning you'll be able to get into places we can't!"

"That…" Dipper pondered, "…actually makes sense…"

Wendy came closer, "So, does that mean you'll help us?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I…don't think I really have a choice, do I? I mean, it's stop Gideon, or otherwise, be stuck in a horrid world like this…"

She looked around the room at your comrades as an uneasy silence spread about. Wendy placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, buddy. I'm sure that Gideon has something hidden away in there that can take you back to wherever it is you belong…"

Dipper looked up with hopeful eyes, "You really think so, Wendy?"

The ginger beamed on her secret admirer, "Of course! There's no telling what that little monstrosity has in his hideout…"

The encouraged boy looked at all of the compassionate faces staring straight at him. Suddenly, Dipper noticed that something wasn't right with Wendy's gang.

"Hey, Wendy?"

"Hmm?"

"This may sound stupid, but I was wondering, did any of you guys know a pink-haired girl named Tambry? Where I come from, she was your best friend, Wendy…"

A series of awkward glances were exchanged. Wendy rubbed her shoulder as she tried to find the right words, "The thing with that is…"

*KA-BOOM!*

The whole room shook as everyone was thrown onto the ground.

Wendy was the first to rise, "What was that?" She looked towards Nate and Lee, and pointed into the distance, "You two, find out what that was." As the pair ran towards the entrance of the base, Wendy turned towards Thompson, "Provide cover for them, in case they need it…"

As he left, Dipper stood back up, "Wendy, what's happening?"

She stood in front of her worried friend, "I'm not sure…" She gazed down at him, "Just stay close, okay?"

A few seconds later, several screams rang out throughout the base:

"ARRGHH!"

"AHH!"

"THEY'RE HERE! GET OUT WHILE YOU –"

As if by second nature, Wendy reached for Dipper's hand. While dragging him around, she scooped up the ID, the disks, and the map printouts, and threw them into a nearby knapsack. She pulled Dipper towards the computer console.

"Listen to me, Dipper. _They_ found us. I'm not sure how, but _they're_ coming." Wendy roughly shoved the package into his chest, making him cough slightly. She slid her hand against the paneling, making a small section glow bright. A hidden door appeared from the seemingly solid wall.

"What the –"

"Quick!" Wendy instructed. "Get in there and hide! Don't come out until everyone leaves!"

"But, Wendy! What about you?"

"_What about me_?" She placed her hands on Dipper's shoulders, "You are probably the only chance we've got to return Gravity Falls and the world to normal! That's more important!"

"You don't know what you're saying, Wen –"

Her expression directly changed. "Dipper, get into that room, RIGHT NOW! That's an order!"

He took a step forward, "I'm not one of your soldiers! You can't –"

"Sorry, kid, but I gotta – "

With that, Wendy pushed Dipper straight into the hidden area, knocking him to the ground. He sprung to his feet as the door slammed shut in his face. He banged his fists against the door.

"WENDY! WENDY! OPEN THIS DOOR! PLEASE!"

Dipper looked to his left to see that a clear sheet provided a view into the war room. He watched as Wendy took a glance in his direction, and turned to face her fate. Within seconds, the room was surrounded with countless grey and black armored soldiers. Dipper recognized them as the same type that tried to capture him earlier.

The room grew silent except for the sound of slow, sarcastic clapping.

"Well, well, well…I have to hand it to you, Miss Corduroy. You and your little band have evaded me for quite some time…"

Wendy backpedaled into the computer consoles as the patrolmen made way for their ladder. The shorten mastermind, Lil' Gideon waddled through the opening of goons. Dressed in a glittering blue suede suit, he slowly approached the entrapped redhead,

"…but unfortunately for you, the game has come to an end!"

Wendy scoffed, "Took you long enough…"

Gideon laughed at the girl's defiance, "True, true, but we have to thank a friend of yours for that…" The tiny despot stepped to the side and used his arms to introduce the newest member of his army. A tall, slender figure stepped into the light.

Upon recognition, Wendy gasped in shock, "No…"

Robbie V. took a look at his stunned girlfriend, only to turn his focus to the floor in shame.

Wendy balled her hands into fists, "How…how could you..."

"Wendy…I…"

She fought against the tears forming in her eyes, "…you…you TRAITOR!" Wendy rushed towards the goth with lightning speed.

Gideon commanded his troops, "Seize her!"

A soldier to the left grabbed the furious teenager from behind, only to find himself flipped over her shoulder and slammed roughly to the floor. A second tried to approach Wendy from the front; he received a hard right cross to the face for his efforts. Without even looking, she stepped back and delivered a roundhouse kick to a third soldier on her right side.

From the safety of the panic room, Dipper watched in astonishment as his secret love expertly took down minion after minion. Within seconds, he had found himself love struck by the fifteen-year-old all over again.

Gideon pulled his whitish blonde hair in frustration, "What are you fools doing? Is this what I pay you for? GET HER! GET HER! You're being beaten by a little girl!"

Wendy taunted between blows, "Who ya calling 'little,' tubby?"

The tyrant stomped his boot harder as he pointed more of his servants towards the spunky fighter. Within seconds, Wendy found herself overwhelmed.

"Hey! Wait –"

Dipper was left helpless but to see an entire legion dog pile on top of Wendy. He was unable to see her anymore; only a heap of grey-black bodies remained. He could hear the teen grunting and groaning from beneath.

"Enough! Get her up!"

The soldiers soon began to rise up one by one. The remnants pulled out a defeated and worn out Wendy. Her arms were manacled tightly behind her back. Her ankles were chained together with iron fetters. She puffed and huffed in exhaustion as a triumphant Gideon headed towards her.

"Oh my! Looks like you're not so tough now, are you?"

Except for her heavy breathing, Wendy didn't utter a single word.

"Now," Gideon said, "I'll only ask you once; where is the boy? Where is this child that is supposed to lead the way to my downfall?"

Once again, Wendy maintained complete silence.

"Cute…" Gideon laughed, "...really cute, but don't you worry. We have several ways to loosen those pretty lips of yours…" He turned towards the rest of his guard, "Take her and her friends back to the fortress..."

"Come on, you!" The guard pushed Wendy in the back, forcing her to hobble forward in spite of her restraints. She stopped and took one last look towards the wall where Dipper was hidden on the other side. She offered a brave smirk before being thrown onward.

"Get going!"

Within a few moments, the entire war room was completely empty. Dipper looked for a way to escape the panic room.

"_Good going, Dip_!" he chastised himself while searching for an exit, "_You let that creep come right in and take Wendy away!_" Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a button switch on the upper right side of the door. He tried standing on his tip-toes to reach it, but still came up short. Dipper explored around for a way to boost himself upwards, settling on a pile of rations.

"_But still_," he pondered as he dragged the stack closer, "_What was I going to do to make things any different_?" He climbed up towards the button and tagged it, triggering a much-needed exit. "_Maybe she was right to throw me in here_…"

Equipping Wendy's backpack, Dipper stepped outside, and he was surrounded with the feeling of being all alone in a strange new world yet again. Besides the few cryptic clues that Wendy and her friends provided, Dipper wasn't exactly sure what to do next…

"Where do I go from here?"


	3. Chapter 3

Under the moonlit sky, the citadel of G-City founder and leader, Gideon Charles Gleeful towered over the capital. It glittered in the darkness, due in part to the countless spotlights that encompassed the compound. Blanketed by the night, a lone, hooded figure fled through the empty streets. Upon reaching the checkpoint, the stranger hesitates, only to take a deep breath, and proceed forward. He pulled out his ID card and waited until he heard a small bleep. The gate of the checkpoint rose slowly. He peers into the station to see that the guard is easily distracted; his eyes glued to the latest broadcast of G-TV.

Instead of going through the main route, the shadow snuck away to the side of the building, making sure to avoid being spotted by the searchlights. He hid against the corner, in order to take a quick break. Slouching to the ground, Dipper Pines pulled back his hood in order to get a better view of his map.

"Okay, so according to Thompson's map, the entrance to the venting system should…be…over there!"

Dipper looked up to see a silver glimmer in the wall adjacent to him. He stood and went towards the entry just as a spotlight was approaching. Luckily, the clumsy boy was able to hop back before being spotted. Dipper wiped away the beads of sweat from his marked forehead, and waited for the light to pass before making his way through.

Searching through his pockets, Dipper was able to find some loose change. Taking a quarter, he started to unscrew the bolts holding the grate to the wall. After a few minutes (and several stubbed fingers) later, Dipper was finally able to pry the covering loose.

"Yes!"

The pint-sized detective crawled into the ventilation shaft, turning back to reseal the cover. The last thing he needed was for security to find any evidence of his break-in. He looked forward to see probably the cleanest vents he had ever seen in his life.

"Wow," Dipper expressed, "I knew Gideon was extremely vain, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad!"

With one hand on the map, Dipper crawled forward towards the first circle labeled. He lifted his head to see that a series of cables and wiring were neatly organized in the wall's structure. Dipper reached into his knapsack and pulled out a disruptor disk. Very carefully, he lined up the disk with against the circuitry. He flinched as mini-clamps came out the back of the device and tightly griped the wall. A red LED counter appeared on the front of the disk: "1/4 ACTIVATED"

"Neat! It's automated!" Dipper checked for the way to the next station. He had to shake away the thoughts of Wendy and her friends from his mind. It wasn't as if he was going to abandon them to whatever fate Gideon had in store. Wendy (and the world as per her claims) was depending on him and _him alone_ to finish what their resistance had started. Besides, the way Dipper saw things, there was no reason why he couldn't place the disks and find the band of teens at the same time.

He backtracked down the corridor in an effort to find his next goal. "That's strange," Dipper noted, double checking his map, "The map says that there should be another path that leads to the next point…" He glanced at his left and right to see that the only openings were completely diminutive; there was no way he was going to fit through either slots. In frustration, he threw down the map and raised his head, "Then, where in the h-"

He stopped in his tracks as the answer was laid out before him: a new passage was discovered leading upwards.

"Well, that's great!" he despaired. "How am I going to reach that?"

Suddenly, Dipper felt something brush against his sneaker. He gasped and jerked his foot upwards. A small, white mouse flurried past him. "Oh, it's just a baby," he relieved. "Hey there, little guy…"

He jumped once more as one of the side panels flew open and a razor thin machine came speeding out. It beeped as it crept along. As it approached the confused mouse, the annoying sound increased in volume and tone.

"Huh? I wonder what that's all about?"

The robot opened a small compartment, revealing a long, narrow extension. It pointed at the curious rodent as it started to glow a deep red.

*ZAP!*

"Eep!"

The light faded away. The only thing that remained of the poor, innocent rodent was a small pile of grey ashes.

Dipper gulped at the sight, using a finger to pull his shirt away from his neck.

The mechanism then pulled out a tiny brush and dustpan, in which neatly swept up the remains.

"Huh…I guess that's how he keeps everything so clean in here…"

All of a sudden, the robot rotated and ahead back in Dipper's direction. It began beeping again, growing louder and more rapid as it came closer.

His eyes widen at the sight of the upcoming killer robot, "HOLY CRAP!"

Dipper looked up towards the shaft located overhead and tried to jump up towards it. He extended his hands and feet in an effort to cling on inside of the duct. However, he couldn't maintain his balance and slipped back down to the floor.

He looked back to see that the cleaner continued down the path.

*BEEP* *BEEP*

Dipper took another leap of faith upwards, only to end up falling straight on his bottom a split second later.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

"Come on! Come on!" Dipper pleaded with himself. As the machine was mere inches away, the desperate child bent his knees and leapt up the vent, only this time, he continued to hop; his arms and legs working in constant flux. At long last, Dipper finally saw an upcoming ledge. With one energetic pounce, he reached towards the ending, and dug his nails in. He slowly pulled himself up and out of harm's way.

Exhausted, Dipper fell onto his backside and tried to bring his breathing back under control. The nerve-wrecking beeping faded away down the passageway. As soon as he felt calm, he flipped over to his knees and resumed his way towards the next checkpoint.

An unexpected sound resonated in Dipper's ears as he came nearer to his next stop: talking, excited shouting, even laughter. He found himself looking down through a grate leading to a dim-lit room. Dipper lifted the cover and peeked inside.

Inside of the shoddy holding cell, Lee and Nate were sitting against a brick wall, conserving and shoving one another playfully, almost like they weren't in form of danger. Thompson sat with raised knees at the opposite end with his head in his lap.

"Hey, guys!"

All three faces lit up at the squeaky noise.

"Little dude!"

"How'd you get up there?"

"Wow…_she_ was right after all!"

Dipper lowered the map to Thompson, "I just followed your map. As weird as it sounds, one of the points you highlighted is supposed to be somewhere in this room…"

"Huh…" He handed the chart back to Dipper. Thompson explored the edges of the room, knocking on various parts of the wall as his friends watched with a puzzled look on their faces.

"AHA! There it is!" Thompson started to pull at the paneling. Nate and Lee stood up and rushed to his side to help him take part the fixture. Another set of circuitry was discovered! Dipper took out another disruptor disk and tossed it to the boys. Thompson maneuvered the mechanism until it adhered itself to the wall.

"2/4 ACTIVATED"

"Great going, kid!" Thompson congratulated. "Now, get going on those other two!"

"But what about you guys? I can't just leave you locked in here!"

He argued back, "Don't worry. Literally right next to the last panel, there should be a release switch for all of the locks in this place. You'll save everyone imprisoned here in one fell swoop!"

Dipper started to feel relieved until he came to a horrible realization: there wasn't any sign of his favorite redhead!

"Hey, wait a sec, guys! Where's Wendy?!"

For the first time, the room was filled with a hushed quiet. Their attitudes' shifted dramatically.

"To be honest, kiddo," Lee confessed. "We're not sure. We were separated as soon as we were brought in…"

Dipper's face dropped in desolation. Nate saw this and tried to offer a hint of hope, "But don'tcha fret, buddy. After all, this is _Wendy_ we're talking about here. She's tougher than all of us put together. She's probably giving Gideon and his troops heck!"

The other two nodded along with his positivity:

"Yeah!"

"Of course!"

"Nothing to worry about!"

Dipper could tell that there was something that they weren't telling him, but instead, he chose to play along.

"O…kay…if you guys say so…." He pulled himself back into the vent, "I'll get you guys outta there soon! I promise!"

* * *

After climbing through a series of raised passages, Dipper double-checked the map.

"Alright, they're saying that the third mark should be up and…to the left. Got it!"

He banged his way through the slim opening. As Dipper approached the turn, he could hear an echoing *WHOOSH* sound coming closer and closer. He passed the edge, only to stop at the last possible second. He was a millisecond away from being shredded to pieces by the razor-sharp blades of a whirling ventilation fan.

"Man," Dipper groaned as anxiety started to rise within his tiny frame, "All these close calls are starting to get to me!" He narrowed his eyes through the blur of the rotating points. Just pass the danger, Dipper could make out the third set of exposed wiring.

He slapped his forehead in aggravation, "Great! That's just great!" Dipper lowered himself on his elbow as he thought about what to do next.

"Okay…" he started to hammer out the details, "I can't just reach inside unless I want to lose a hand. It doesn't seem to slow down at any point…the only chance I have is to jam the fan someway, but how?"

Out of desperation, Dipper removed his backpack and took out the last two disruptor disks. Very slowly, the careful boy slid the bag into the blades. The sharp edges dug into the thick cloth until at last, they became embedded in the thick cloth, and finally brought to a complete stop.

"Now's my chance!"

Dipper inched through the space left behind the blades, mounted the third disk to the components, and crawling back through, just before the fan regained momentum. Dipper sunk down on his stomach and let out a loud heave. He watched as the remnants of Wendy's backpack were torn into little pieces of cloth. The LED signing "3/4 ACTIVATED" shined through the spinning metallic machinery.

"Phew! I really hope she doesn't mind…"

After gathering his wits, Dipper collected the last disk and followed the directions through a long and tight channel in search for the final circuit. A few moments later, he found himself at a fork in the road. Deciding on taking the right corridor, Dipper continued on his way until a horrid sound made him freeze in his tracks:

"AAHHH!"

He turned around, unsure if the cry he heard was merely in his head. More seemed to echo through the opposite direction: "ER! UGH! GRR!"

Dipper knew what he was ordered to do; what the world needed him to do, but as the noises persisted, the more he became divided about what to do next. His brain demanded that he go on and put his curiosity behind him. His heart knew that something was amiss; those noises were anything but normal. The guilt ate away at the back of his mind. The conflicted sleuth moaned, hoping he wouldn't regret his next decision, and retreated back down the left most course.

The haunting noise grew louder and more frequent as Dipper traveled further into the depths. At the end of the vent, a small grate provided the pre-teen an insight into the room below him. He peered inside and lost his breath at the sight before him.

For once, his paranoid instincts may just have paid off…

Dipper peeked into a simple, sky-blue tiled room. Directly beneath him, a familiar looking pink and brown haired girl donning a grey and black uniform sat at a large computer console, operating countless buttons and switches.

"Tambry!" he recognized. "That's why Wendy and the guys were acting so weird when I mentioned her; she's one of Gideon's minions!"

Even more shocking, Dipper was finally able to locate the source of the whimpers that led him to the spot. Next to Tambry's station, his secret crush, Wendy Corduroy was spread out on what looked like a padded lounge chair. Her long, red hair was a tangled mess. Bags were forming under her emerald eyes. The smile that Dipper adored was wiped clean from her freckled, dimpled face.

"What…" Dipper was left speechless. "…What are they doing to her?"

Wendy's grey uniform was ripped and tattered at the shoulders and knees. Her gloves and boots were apparently removed, leaving the teen unarmed and barefoot. Upon closer inspection, Dipper realized that heavy duty straps kept Wendy's wrists pinned to the arms of the chair. He looked past her raised legs to see that a matching pair secured her ankles at the very end of the recliner.

An oddity caught Dipper's eye. Reflective panels were placed under Wendy's palms. Thin wires attached to them bound each finger, preventing her from removing her hands from the spot. A second set were positioned against the bottoms of Wendy's feet. Her big toes were tied back tightly in order to stop her peds from wiggling around in reflex.

As Dipper's imagination raced, his thoughts were shattered by a nasally voice:

"Now, I'll ask again: where is the boy? Where have you hidden him?"

Dipper shifted his head to see that Lil' Gideon, accompanied by two of his royal guard, stood in front of the captive ginger. Wendy raised her head and silently stared in defiance.

Annoyed, Gideon pointed at Tambry, "Do it again!"

Without a second thought, Tambry activated a button on the console. Dipper watched as the reflectors under Wendy's limbs began to light up and spark. Her body thrust backwards in agony. With her eyes closed, the brave leader accidentally let out a pain-filled yelp before forcing herself to bite down and grit her teeth.

Dipper quickly covered his mouth to prevent himself from being detected. "They're…_electrocuting_ her! His eyes watered as he realized the sad truth, _"She'd rather be tortured than to give me up…" _While his heart broke at the horrendous scene, Dipper wondered if _his Wendy_ would have done the same for him.

In the background, the twelve-year-old heard a nearby door open. Gideon turned away from his prisoner and greeted the guest with a devious smile, "Ah! Welcome, Robert! Have you come to enjoy the show?"

Dipper watched as Robbie V. ran into sight. He cursed the goth; if it wasn't for him and his massive ego, Wendy wouldn't be in this dire situation. Dipper wanted nothing more than to take his friend away from this torment. He'd even settle for taking her place; that she wouldn't suffer anymore in _his name_, but with the odds being five-to-one in Gideon's favor, there was no way he could mount any form of rescue just yet.

For now, he was helpless but to watch the events before him unfold.

"Wait…" Robbie approached Gideon's side, "I thought you said that you weren't going to hurt her!"

The wicked nine-year-old laughed at the teen's concern, "Oh my, dear boy. I'm not hurting her!"

"Speak…Speak for yourself… chunky!" Wendy hissed from her confinement.

Gideon shifted his head slightly towards Tambry and nodded. She tabbed away at the console, sending another course of shocks through Wendy's soles and palms, making the young girl seize in anguish.

"You see, Robert! She'll be a little sore in the morning, but otherwise, the girl's just fine…" The oppressor opened his arms, "This is my rehabilitation center, where we help the unruly citizens of G-City get back on the right path…"

"By…frying them?"

His chubby face lightened, "Not quite, my young friend." Gideon pointed upwards towards what looked like a video monitor. "Usually, we have that little beauty playing while we do this. Think like Pavlov's dog, Robert; a series of pictures and videos of yours truly are displayed in front of our "_patients_," and if they resist, they are properly "_disciplined_"."

"Pato – who now?"

Gideon sighed and placed his hand on Robbie's side. He spoke slowly so the dim-witted teenager could understand, "I – shock – them – until – their – loyalty – is –to -me – and – me – alone!"

"Oh…"

"A perfect example of one of my best successes is your friend Tambry over there." He turned towards the operator, "She was sent in by your group to spy on my organization here. After we discovered her true intentions, the dear child spent a few hours at the center here. Now, she stands as one of my highest ranked lieutenants, ready to respond to my slightest order. Heck, the fact that she doesn't even realize her friend is in that seat is its own form of delicious irony!"

Gideon returned his sights back to a fatigued Wendy, "Before we start the process with young Gwendolyn here, I decided to have a little "fun" beforehand. After all, she has a lot of information that you don't have; secrets that are hers and hers alone to keep…"

"You're…"

Both boys looked at the out of breath redhead, "You're…both…_insane_! You two truly deserve each other!"

Just as Gideon was about to signal for another round of current, Robbie stepped towards his bound girlfriend, "What did you expect me to do, Wendy? Put everything that we worked for…that we hoped for, in the hands of some random kid that you picked off the street?!"

Wendy's face turned a bright red as tears filled her green eyes, "I expected you to _trust me_, Robbie! That's it! It's the exact same you would have wanted from me! Even if it sounded crazy, all I wanted was for you to _trust me!"_

"To suicide?! Sure, I may not agree with everything Gideon does..." He looked down at the dictator, "No offense…"

Gideon waved away any worry.

"…but at least under him, we'll be _alive_ after everything is said and done…" He placed his hand against her leg, "…we'll be _together_…"

"No!" Wendy pulled back as much as her restraints would allow. "Don't touch me! Don't even look at me!"

Robbie lowered his head in shame.

"You don't get it, do you?" Wendy asked. "There is no more "us!" You made sure of that! You've hurt me more than that fat little pig could ever hope to!"

Gideon offered a creepy smile at Wendy's last insult. "Miss Tambry, if you would be ever so kind…"

Dipper watched as the panels under Wendy's hands lit up once more, making her twitch uncontrollably. The strings firmly held each digit securely above the shining orbs. The conductors alongside her feet came next, forcing the toughen girl to cry aloud! She struggled against the torment, only for the taut cords around her big toes to painfully dig into her sensitive skin, yanking her legs back into position.

As Wendy sunk back into the chair, Robbie turned to address Gideon, "That reminds me; what exactly is the deal with this "Dipper" kid? Why's he so important?" He scoffed under his breath, "If anything, he looked like a wimp to me…"

Gideon began to narrate, "Several months ago, after the completion of G – City, I decided to celebrate with a night on the town. For fun, I stopped at a local soothsayer to have my fortune told. While I expected to be thrilled with tales of my future conquests, instead she warned that a strange boy will appear out of nowhere. Marked with the sign of the Big Dipper, he would be the key to the undoing of my empire."

"But it's all make-believe, right?"

The portly ruler's face became serious, "If there's one thing I learned throughout the years, Robert, is that there's always some truth in any of the magicks. For that, one can never be too careful…"

Surprisingly, mocking laughter started to rise up from the nearly broken form in the torture chair, "So, that's it!"

Wendy flashed a huge smile to the confused boy, "Do you _really_ want to know where the kid is, Gideon? _He's here_. Somewhere here among us. And thanks to him, everything that you're created will shortly crumble." She noticed that his face had tensed up. "And there _it_ is; the same look of fear and panic that I've seen on the faces of my family and friends because of _you_. Tell me, Gideon; how does it feel?"

Unable to counter her challenge, Gideon went out as if Wendy's outburst never existed, "I – I think that we're gotten all that we can from this pretty little thing. Prepare the conversion monitor!"

The screen started to lower itself towards Wendy's direction. She looked up and tried to squirm away, only to be held fast to the spot.

Robbie was left perplexed, "So, you've still going to change her? Even after getting the info you needed?"

Gideon giggled at Robbie's naivety, "That's the beautiful thing, my friend. Once the other members of the resistance see the new and improved Gwendolyn, of how their brave and strong leader fell to my command, their hopes will truly be broken forevermore!"

Just as the screen reached Wendy's point of view, Robbie spoke up again, "Wait!"

Somewhat annoyed, Gideon tried to calm his concerns, "Now what? Didn't I already give my word that no harm will –"

Robbie put his hands up and waved, "It's not like that, Gideon…uh…sir. It's just that you said that machine of yours will make her loyal to whatever is shown on screen, right?"

"Yes; in a manner of speaking…"

"Well…" he asked, twiddling his fingers together, "…it is possible to make it so that she…_she still loves me?"_

Wendy's eyes widen as her mouth literally dropped open.

"…y'know; kinda like how you have it with you and your missus?"

"Hmm…" Gideon rubbed his chin with interest, "I see. You're a man after my own heart, now aren't you? Well, in my case, Mabel is, let's say, "charmed" all in thanks to my lucky bowtie, but with your situation…"

"_I knew it_!" Dipper silently proclaimed in the vent, "I knew that's how he was controlling Mabel! There was no way she'd stand being with that creep of her own accord!" He stared harder at Robbie through the fuzziness of the grate, "And that two-timing punk! And here I thought the Robbie from my world was messed up in the head!"

"…I'd say it's more than possible..." He gazed at the worried look on Wendy's face as she could do nothing but accept her awaiting fate, and laughed. "In fact, I'd be more than happy to do so for you, Robert!" He placed on a supportive hand on the goth's back, "Consider this a personal "thank you" from me to you for all that you have done for me so far…"

Wendy chocked on her words as the two boys talked about her as if she was just a plaything for them to manipulate. She wanted to sob; she wanted to scream out loud! Instead, the anger and rage built up until it was released in a tirade:

"You two think it's going to be that easy, hmm? Well, give me your best shot! I took everything you threw at me so far, didn't I? So, go ahead! Do your worse! I'll _never_ be your servant…"

She glared up at Robbie, "…and as for you, I'll _never_ forgive you for this! Never!"

"Wendy, I – "

Gideon took a few steps in Wendy's direction, "I'd hate to admit it, Robert, but our dearest Gwendolyn might be _right_ in this case…"

All three adolescents were shocked by this new claim.

"While my rehabilitation center has a highly successful turnover rate, I'll be the first to admit that it's far from perfect. Sometimes, we get a person who's so strong-willed, we find ourselves unable to turn them. With that being said, the spirit is strong, but the flesh is ever so weak, and for this, such people unfortunately succumb to the shock of the process itself. Nerves are shot. Tickers go out. Those sorts of things. But then again, you already knew this, didn't you, Gwendolyn?"

Wendy's face lightened as the villain wobbled closer.

"After all, isn't that what happened to your _mommy dearest_? She was one of the first to protest against my ways of doings things, wasn't she?"

She instantly saw red. "You – You swine!" Wendy spit straight at the bragging sociopath!

Gideon recoiled in disgust, "My…My brand new suit!" His fat face scrunched up as he bellowed, "You'll pay for that! Raise the voltage! _Triple it_ on the soles of her feet!"

"AAARRRGGGHHH!"

Dipper gripped the grate as Wendy's shrieks echoed through the complex. He wished that he could whisk her away from all of this. He closed his eyes and prayed for the chance to set her free before it was too late.

Wendy bucked and heaved against her bonds to no prevail. After the series of shocks ran their course, the rebellious redhead leaned back and drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Now!" Gideon ordered, "Modify the programming to Robert's request, and play it now!"

The screen was lowered to meet Wendy face to face. Tambry stood up and walked to her former friend's side. She reached from behind the headrest of the recliner and placed a strap around Wendy's forehead and chin, preventing her from looking away from the blaring images racing through the monitor. The weary girl moaned until she finally stopped resisting at all. She no longer blinked. She barely breathed.

Robbie watched on with a vexed expression as Gideon celebrated, "Excellent! She's starting to turn!" He noticed the concern of his newest loyalist. "Now, don't you fuss…" Gideon took Robbie by the hand and escorted him to the console where Tambry was previously stationed, "Have a seat here. This way, you can observe how your Gwendolyn's doing. When everything's said and done, she'll be a brand new person…_for me and for you_…" Gideon gripped his shoulder, "How's that sound?"

The remorseful teen looked up with a forced smile, and lowered his head back down, "Good…it sounds good…"

"Great!" Gideon walked back to the other side of the room where Tambry and his personal guard were waiting. "You three follow me! That brat has to be here somewhere! Search every nook and cranny! He couldn't have gotten far!"

Dipper heard the sounds of footsteps fading away and shortly after, a door opening and closing. He looked down to see that Robbie was positioned beneath him.

"Now's my chance!" He went to work on prying the vent loose from its hinges.

In the room below, Robbie V. rocked back and forth on a chair as he watched his girlfriend undergo Gideon's zombification process. Despite having his requested granted, a sense of melancholy was present in his demeanor.

"I'm sorry, Wendy," he whispered. "I truly am…it'll all be over soon…"

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a noise coming from above him. "What the – " Robbie had only a split second to see that a heavy metal grate with the wanted Dipper Pines on top was zooming towards him at an alarming rate!

*CRASH!*

After a moment, Dipper rose back up to his feet. His knees and legs stung like crazy, but he forced himself to maintain balance. Groggily, he saw that the landing that completely knocked his romantic rival out-cold.

"Meh…he definitely had it coming…"

Dipper leapt towards the panel and slammed on the off-switch. The machinery holding the screen started to rise towards the ceiling. He ran towards his secret love and jumped into the chair restricting her.

"WENDY!"

Dipper undid the straps pinning her head in place, making it slump down. Worried, he gently clutched her shoulders and shook her, "Wendy?! Can you hear me?! Please! Say something! Anything!"

"_Oh no_!" he thought to himself. "_I'm too late_…"

"You…"

Dipper's hopes were instantly raised as his teenaged crush started to come alive again. Her breathing returned to a normal rate. Her emerald green eyes resumed blinking. Her face consorted as she struggled to speak.

"You…what…"

"That's it, Wendy!" Dipper encouraged. "Keep trying! What are you trying to say?"

After a moment or two, she was able to articulate a bit more clearly:

"What…What…did…I…tell…you…?"

"Huh?"

Her voice became clearer, "I told you…not to…worry about me…"

Dipper went back and started to unbuckle Wendy's wrists. "Wow…totally wasn't expecting that response…" He quickly released her fingers.

The bothered boy went to release her feet, only to accidentally brush up against the sensitive undersides.

"UHH!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Wendy addressed him again as he fumbled with her ankle bindings, "I told you…to take care of what's really important!"

Fed up with being chastised, Dipper looked up with an angry glare, "_I am taking care of what's important to me_!" He returned his attention to back to the task at hand, "And you're welcome, by the way…"

As Dipper began to untie Wendy's toes, she moved back and let out a chuckle, "Tell me, kid. Do you whisper cheesy lines like that to your sweetheart back home?"

He hesitated for a second before responding, "Sometimes…"

"And does she actually buy any of it?"

"…Not for a second…"

Wendy nodded at his answer, "Sounds like a smart girl…"

Dipper sighed under his breath, "_You would know_…"

"What'cha say?"

"NOTHING! I said nothing!"

Once completely freed, Wendy slowly pulled herself upwards. She massaged her swollen hands and feet. As she did so, Wendy stared at the distant child in front of her, and felt somewhat regretful of her words. After an awkward moment of silence, she reached out and took hold of her unsuspecting rescuer, making him cry out in surprise.

"You've done good, Dipper…thank you."

His attitude instantly changed. Dipper offered a shy smile as he rubbed the back of his head, "I guess that makes us even, doesn't it?"

Wendy returned a toothy grin, "I guess it does…" She winced in discomfort as she tried to lower her legs to the floor.

"Whoa! Hang on!" Dipper flew to her side and tried to support some of Wendy's weight, "Are you sure you'll be okay to walk? I mean, I can try to swipe some boots for you so you don't have to walk around like that…"

"I'll be fine, Dipper," Wendy reassured him, "It sounds funny, but walking on the cool tiles actually helps with the pain…" The pre-teen walked alongside the stumbling redhead towards the exit until Wendy stopped in her tracks. "Just a second…"

Wendy pushed away from her friend and limped towards the computer console where Robbie laid unconscious on the floor. She stood before the fallen goth with a stern look in her face. Wendy pulled he leg back and delivered a well-placed kick to Robbie's mid-section.

"OOF!"

Within seconds, the teenager went back down for the count.

Dipper watched with amazement as Wendy shuffled back towards him, "Feel better?"

"Much so," the spiteful girl prided. "I'll feel even better when I get my hands on Gideon!"

"So, what's the plan?"

"That depends," Wendy questioned. "How many of those disks were you able to plant around here?"

Dipper reached into his vest and pulled out the final one, "I was able to do three. This is the only one left. I also found where they're keeping the guys! Thompson said that the release to the cells is in the same place where the last disk goes…"

"Man…" Wendy pulled his cap off so she could rub his head affectionately, "I guess you do have everything covered for the most part, don't ya?"

The boy blushed at all of the praise, "Hehe…I guess…"

She lowered herself down, "Here's the plan: the area where we need to set the fourth disk isn't too far off from here. We sneak down there, let everyone out from their cells, and blow this place sky high!" Wendy turned towards her partner in crime, "What do you think?"

Dipper gave a supportive thumbs-up, "Sounds great!"

"Good…"

While leaning on Dipper, Wendy opened the door to their final destination, "Let's put an end to Gideon's plans once and for all!"


	4. Chapter 4

The center of the headquarters of the wicked mastermind, Gideon Gleeful could be considered anything but peaceful. At every waking moment, countless articles of machinery ran endlessly to provide power to the gigantic citadel. Consoles beeped without end. Pistons pumped in constant, perfected rhythm. Few knew the despite of the power the area produced, it also had a tremendous weakness within.

In the center of the area, a lone control panel on the maintenance bridge, the fourth of its kind, contained a huge variety of wiring, circuitry, and components viral to maintaining order to the everyday functions of the complex. If it was tampered with in any way, the consequences would truly be dire.

However, the guard stationed outside the only entrance to the room could care less. With his back leaning against the door, he lowered his head down in boredom, lamenting that he was missing out on his favorite programs on G-TV.

It was this distraction that allowed a figure to slip out of the shadows undetected. She made sure to stay close to the wall to avoid being seen. The draft blew between the torn remains of her uniform, sending chills up her spine. The warrior was battered and beaten, but her iron-clad will kept her going. She crept silently in her bare feet until she was within striking distance of her prey…

"WHAM!"

With one punch, the soldier was down and out. After checking to make sure that her opponent was unconscious, Wendy Corduroy called out to her young charge, "It's all clear! You can come out now!"

Dipper Pines peeked out from behind the corner. He followed along on the heels of his secret love, stopping when he passed along the fallen minion.

"Man," he admired about his sweetheart. "Even after everything Gideon's put her through, she's more than able to kick butt and take names!" Dipper pondered if the Wendy back home somehow had the same type of killer instinct hidden within her.

Wendy approached the door and tried to pry it open. "Locked…" she mumbled in disappointment. A keypad was mounted on the right side of the entrance.

"Huh…" She spun around to face Dipper, "By chance, kiddo, do you still happen to have that hacked ID card.

Dipper fiddled around his pockets until he was able to produce the card. Wendy stepped aside and extended her arms behind her, "It's all yours, champ!"

Very carefully, the cautious boy approached the reader and slid the tag through…

*BEEP*

The door automatically opened seconds later. In a mockingly fashion, Dipper motioned for his teenage friend to lead the way, "Ladies first…"

Wendy rolled her eyes and offered a smirk, "Quite the little gentleman..." She playfully punched her sarcastic pal as she walked passed. Dipper found himself in amazement once more. It was only a few minutes since he had rescued his redheaded crush from being tortured by Lil' Gideon and yet, she sped ahead of the stunned boy without difficulty; there was no limping, groaning, or wincing to be seen at all. The only evidence that anything had actually happened to the resilient girl were the small patches of beet-red sticking out from the thin layer of dust coating Wendy's bare soles.

Racing behind her, Dipper wondered to himself what exactly gave Wendy the strength to move forward unaffected: a great sense of justice or an insatiable thirst for vengeance against the tiny dictator.

Dipper stopped in his tracks as he took in the scope of the massive area. He watched as the machinery ran in constant flux. He stood over the flashing consoles as they fulfilled complex commands in mere microseconds. He stepped past the computers to see that they were on an elevated platform gated around with thin, metal rails. Dipper peered above the barrier to see that the pitfall beneath them easily extended downwards hundreds of feet.

"Wow…"

"Dipper!" His comrade interrupted his train of thought, "Focus, man!"

"Sorry…" Dipper grinned sheepishly and rejoined Wendy by her side. Standing at the left side of the room, the freckled-faced ginger analyzed the location of their final goal. She leaned over on the railing, standing on her toes to reach the last set of panels. Her arm reached backwards towards the twelve year old.

"Let me get that disruptor disk…"

Dipper pulled the disk out of his vest and dropped it into Wendy's hand. She went to raise her arms, only to stop in mid-step. Oddly enough, Wendy remained motionless while on her tip-toes.

"Wendy?"

"I…" A blue aura engulfed her slim figure. The disk slipped from her hands and crashed into the ground.

"What's wrong?!"

Dipper could barely make out a small whisper coming from in front of him, "I…can't…move!"

Suddenly, a blue light flashed before his eyes. Dipper's body began to involuntarily tremble on its own. It felt like he was instantly paralyzed. It took all of his strength to utter a reply, "…Me…neither…"

"Look who's caught with their hands in the cookie jar!"

A sense of dread overcame the adolescents as soon as they recognized the voice coming from behind them. Dipper and Wendy were hoisted off their feet and into midair! As if by magic, they were rotated around so that they would face the source.

Lil Gideon stood at the entrance of the room. His plump little hand clutched his lucky bowtie tightly as it flashed the same shade of blue that covered their bodies. His other arm was lifted towards the sky as it controlled their movements. A squadron of heavily-armed soldiers stood at their leader's side, ready for him to issue any commands.

The nine-year-old cackled at their plight, "MWHAHAHA!" *SNORT* "Did you really think that it was going to be that easy?" He tightened his grip on the shining pendant, making Wendy and Dipper cry out as they felt the same effect. "Did you honestly believe that I didn't have a clue to what you were planning all this time?"

Gideon threw both arms into the air, sending the two further into the sky. With a childish giggle, he stuck out an index finger from each hand and started to make a twirling motion. A split second later, Dipper and Wendy were circling around at an alarming speed!

"WHOA!" They exclaimed as nausea shortly overcame them. After countless cycles, the duo was left dizzy and severely disoriented. Gideon's outstretched hands shifted into in a tight fist. The partners in crime gradually turned to face each other in midair. All of a sudden, they were jolted straight in the same direction.

"Wait! Don't!"

"NONONONONO!"

*BLAM!*"

Both rebels collided with each other at near-break-neck speed! They slumped down in withered pain on top of one another.

Gideon boasted joyfully, "Far too easy…" He glanced at the armed forces behind him, "You men can take your leave…" He returned his sights to Wendy and Dipper, "…_I will deal with this vermin personally_!"

Stunned, Dipper raised his head to see the loyal servants flee the scene. As the crowd parted, only a shorten figure remained by Gideon's side. Dressed in a sky blue dress and matching high heels, she walked gradually toward the confident sovereign. Her brown eyes were opened halfway as if she was in a form of daze.

Dipper narrowed his eyes to make sure that his imagination wasn't running away with him. Sure enough, his twin sister was standing next to his loathed nemesis!

"MABEL!"

The pint-sized despot was intrigued by the concern from the stranger. "Hmm…" He motioned forward with his hand, dragging the illuminated boy in his direction.

Struggling to regain control of her body, Wendy steadily rose to her feet, "No…stay…stay away from him!"

"Silence, whelp!"

With a thrust of Gideon's arm, the brave redhead was thrown backwards into the metal rail, sending her crashing down into her knees.

"So…" Gideon asked, slightly twisting Dipper in mid-air as if to analyze him, "…_you're_ the one that's supposedly destined to take little ol' me down? Hmmph!"

Dipper's thoughts lied instead with the unusually silent girl at the villain's side, "What…what have you done to her?"

Gideon's face reeled back in surprise, "To her? What _haven't_ I done for her?! Any desire instantly fulfilled! Boy bands personally play just for her! A legion of loyal followers would throw themselves down at her feet at a moment's notice!" A quick confused expression overcame him, "I even got her than oversized hamster ball for humans she always wanted…"

"But at what cost?!" Dipper argued back. "Her mind?! Her soul?!"

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it? Tell me, Gideon, when was the last time Mabel made an actual choice on her own? Without your "influence" to guide her?"

"I…"

"She's nothing more than a doll that you cart around!"

Becoming flustered, the evil mastermind tightened his psychic grip on the helpless twelve year old, "Who cares what you think anyways? As far as I'm concerned, it's none of your business!"

"She _is_ my business! She's my sister!"

"You're _what_?" Gideon quickly looked back and forth between his two captives. "It's uncanny…" he mumbled to himself. "You're almost identical…" He shook his head clear of any doubts, "Enough of your trickery!" Gideon raised his hand, sending Dipper higher into the air. The pressure on his neck increased, making him gag loudly.

"Mabel…" Dipper whispered coarsely, "Mabel, you need to wake up, _please_! Don't…Don't let him do this!"

A small, yet high-pitched voice rose from the empty shell of a little girl, "Wha…"

Gideon's eyes widen upon hearing the shill sound.

Mabel fully opened her eyes and looked around the grim scene, "Where am I? What's going on?"

"NO!"

Gideon extended his free hand at the bewildered tween, "Shh…shh…" He attempted to calm her as the blue glow encircled her small frame, "It's alright, my marshmallow. Everything's ok…when this is all over, you won't remember a thing!"

"Fight it, Mabel, fig – ACK!"

The grip on Dipper's neck tensed. "Shut your mouth!" Gideon ordered. "This farce ends here and now!"

"BAM!"

Dipper was dropped roughly on his knees. Gasping for air, he gazed up to see a furious Wendy Corduroy, standing with curled fists over a fallen Gideon.

"_That_…was for my mother…"

She repeatedly kicked at the villain, making him roll across the metal floor, "_That_ was for every friend that you have taken from me! For ruining Gravity Falls! For destroying everything I've ever cared about!"

Dipper noticed that his friend's face has turned a steamed red as she continued her assault. She fought against the wetness forming in her green eyes.

"S-S-Stop!" Gideon held up a hand in defense. Wendy grunted and struggled as her body locked up as she was blanketed by the blue shine again.

"You…" he rose up, panting out of breath. "_You…dare strike me_?! You'll pay for that insult with your life!"

Left powerless, Wendy prepared herself for the worse, only to see Dipper dash right pass her. He tackled Lil' Gideon to the ground and traded blows with the deviant. She could see that Dipper was trying to pull something away from the little monster.

"Dipper, how are you able-"

He shouted over his shoulder, "It's his pendant! Gideon isn't strong enough to control all three of us at the same time! If we get it away from him, he'll be powerless!"

As Dipper continued to wrestle the enchanted necktie away from his adversary, he could hear Wendy shout, "No! You don't know what you're doing!"

Unexpectedly, Dipper felt a pair of hands reach around him and pull him off of Gideon. He tried to wiggle out of the hold, but his arms were pulled tightly behind his back. He looked up to see the stern face of Robbie V. over his head. Dipper protested, "Stop! Let me go! It's not too late to stop him!"

Robbie pushed Dipper's arms upwards, making him holler in agony, "Keep quiet, punk. I still owe you for that little surprise back in the rehabilitation room!"

Gideon looked on in disbelief as he stood back up and dusted himself off. He chuckled at his miraculous fortune. "Ah, Robert. Fancy seeing you here!"

The gothic traitor remained silent as he held Dipper in a death-grip.

"Well, children," Gideon mocked, "It's been fun, but my patience is wearing thin. This game ends now!" He scanned the area until his eyes became locked on Wendy, still stuck in place on the other side of the room. Gideon used his powers to lift the trapped ginger back into the air.

"Wait a second," Robbie asked. "What's going on?"

With his attention still on Wendy, Gideon addressed his lackey, "An example must be made, Robert. They came too close to ruining everything that I worked to achieve." He lowered his eyes at the freckled-faced girl floating before him, "_She will be that example_! Everything that has happened was because of her: the resistance, the destruction of my beloved buildings, the cursed brat being brought here; _it's all dear Gwendolyn's fault_!"

Dipper and Robbie watched in horror as Gideon's eyes changed to a demonic red. Bands of the same shade appeared on Wendy's wrists and ankles. Her hands were pulled upwards while her feet were yanked in the opposite direction. As her body stretched, Wendy screamed in complete anguish!

Gideon smiled at the pain he caused. "I'm sure you gentlemen have heard of a person being drawn and quartered, but have you ever seen it done _without any horses_?" He let out an echoing, maniacal cackle.

"What are you doing?!" Robbie threw Dipper down to the ground, "You said you wouldn't hurt her!"

"I'm sorry, Robert," Gideon bemoaned, "But a harsh lesson you must learn is that _sacrifice is necessary in order to get what you really want in this world_…"

He paused, and raised his sights to his girlfriend left dangling in the atmosphere, only seconds away from having her joints heaved out of place. Robbie lowered his head in as he realized that Gideon was right.

"I'm sorry, Wendy. I wish there was another way, but there isn't…"

"You see!" Gideon bragged to the girl left in peril. "There's no one left to save you! Everybody you love and care about is…"

While he was distracted, Robbie raced across the room and threw his body towards the self-proclaimed clairvoyant. Wendy fell from her holding place and crash landed on the cold, hard floor. She waited for the feeling to return in her stinging limbs.

"What in the – "

The goth pushed with all of his might until both boys were against the metal rail at the end of the platform.

"NO! NO!"

As Robbie and Gideon flipped over the bar, Wendy could make out one final attempt at redemption:

"Forgive me!"

The sound of dual screaming reverberated throughout the hollowed room until it traveled too far down for Wendy or Dipper to hear. Wendy regained her balance and ran towards the edge of the platform. She peered over and shouted into the darkness:

"ROBBIE! ROBBIE!"

Dipper staggered to his feet in disbelief of what just occurred, "He…He saved us all…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy could see a shining object in the darkness. Gideon's amulet had become snagged on a piece of twisted metal just below the ledge. Wendy bent down to reclaim the artifact. Staring at the jewel placed in her hands, the weary teen immediately sunk down to her knees and started to sob silently to herself.

As Dipper started to limp towards his crush's side, his eyes widen as a familiar voice comforted the heartbroken girl.

"Hey, there…why are you crying?"

Wendy whirled around to meet the concerned face of a fully restored Mabel Pines.

"Hey…" she wiped away her tears, "Hey, yourself…"

Mabel's face lit up, "I know you! You're the gift shop counter girl! You work for my uncle, right?!"

"Yep…" Wendy nodded in response. "At least I used to…"

The pre-teen looked down at her current state, "I don't mean to change the subject, but what I am doing here? Why am I wearing this ugly outfit? It looks like a mortician dressed me!"

The depressed female couldn't help but smile at her friend's natural silliness, "Yeah…it kinda does…"

Dipper approached Wendy and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Wendy…I…I don't know what to say…"

After letting out a loud *SNIFFLE*, Wendy slowly rose up and walked past the twins, "Let's finish this…"

Taken back by her sudden change in attitude, the boy asked again, "Are you sure you don't to wait – "

Wendy turned around, "I have lost enough people I care about because of all of this. I just want to get it over with…"

The determined fifteen year old walked over to the fallen disruptor disk and picked it back up. Using the rail as leverage, Wendy reached up and set the piece onto the last sets of circuits. The LED Screen repeatedly flashed the message, "4/4 ACTIVATED." A few seconds later, Dipper noticed that the notice had changed into an ominous warning: "TIME REMANING: 5:00:00." Shortly after, the timer began to count down.

"We only have a few minutes to free the others and get outta here!" Wendy explained. "Where was that release switch again?"

Dipper pointed at the console closest to them, "Over there; at least that's what Thompson told me!"

Wendy flew to the console and began to flip switches. An alarm began to blare overhead. She noticed a microphone connecting to a form of intercom system. Wendy flicked it and issued some advice: "You people have five minutes to get your sorry butts out before everything goes sky high! _You have been warned!_"

She set down the mic and twirled around to her secret admirer, "Well, everything's unlocked, so it'll only a matter of time before we bump into the guys!"

Dipper let out a sigh of relief, "That's great! So, what do we do next?"

"I think it's time we send you home…"

"How are we going to do that?"

Wendy extended her hand out and offered Gideon's necktie, "With this!" She dropped it into Dipper's open palm, "You do know how to use it, right?"

He blushed as he admitted the truth, "Um…not exactly. Mabel was the one that stopped Gideon by using it…"

The baffled brunette spoke up, "I did?"

"No, not you, Mabel! My Mabel back home…"

"Well," Wendy suggested. "Gideon simply had to concentrate to make those crazy things happen." She tightened Dipper's fist around the priceless treasure. "Maybe all you need to do is think of home…" Her freckled face lit up, "I know! Think of _your lady friend_, Dipper! Clear your thoughts of everything but her voice! Pretend like she's calling you home!"

Dipper chuckled in complete nervousness, knowing that the truth of the matter was mere inches away from his face, "I'll – I'll try…" As instructed, he emptied his thoughts and focused his mind on _his_ Wendy: the lumberjack-dressed jokester with a tender heart; the one person who in spite of hurt feelings, he would give _anything_ to see again. In his subconscious, he reached out towards the vivid image…

"Look, it's working!"

The pre-teen opened his eyes to see that he was glowing. He could feel a tremendous power flowing through his veins. As if Dipper was told what to do next, he extended his arm, relinquishing a blue light from his fingertips. The girls watched in awe as the beam swirled around, eventually forming what looked like a portal. The entrance shone a bright yellow, similar to that of a little sun.

Dipper took a step back as he analyzed his handiwork. Gusts of air stemming from the gateway brushed against his flushed face. He twisted around and returned the pendant to Wendy.

"Thank you…"

Wendy scoffed at her companion, "If anything, I should be thanking _you_…"

Dipper raised an eyebrow, "That's the last thing I expect; especially after everything that has happened."

She reassured him, "Sure, there have been a lot of bumps along the way…" Wendy stopped for a moment as another *SNIFF* escaped her, "…but none of this would have been possible without you."

However, he still felt responsible for her loss, "…I'm sorry…"

Wendy smiled sweetly at him. She smeared away a lone tear as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know…"

His interest faltered to his amnesiac twin at Wendy's side, "You'll take good care of her, right?"

"Count on it! I'll also see what I can do about restoring Soos and Stan back to normal." She reminisced about her past life, placing an index finger against her chin, "On second thought, maybe I'll take care of Soos first and leave Stan for later."

The two shared one last joined laugh together before an awkward silence filled the ambiance. Offering a gentle wave goodbye, Dipper walked away from the two girls and towards the exit home. Just before he stepped into the portal, a voice called out for him:

"Hey kiddo! Wait!"

Dipper looked over his shoulder to see Wendy head in his direction, "Do me a favor?"

He spun around to answer her with a careful smirk, "Name it…"

She lowered herself to his level, "When you get back home, I want you to find _me_. The other "me" I mean…"

"And…?"

Wendy pulled herself closer, whispering into his ear, "And I want you to remind _that special girl of yours_ of how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life!"

Dipper's mouth dropped open at her request, "WAIT! How did you know –"

She yanked the young detective by his shirt collar and gave him a tender but sweetened kiss on the lips. Leaving Dipper spellbound, Wendy mischievously pushed him into the portal.

"Go get 'em, slugger!"

A high-pitched, almost girly scream echoed through the room as both Dipper and the portal vanished into mid-air. Wendy stood back up and motioned towards Mabel, "C'mon! We gotta beat feet!"

As they made their way out, Mabel asked an earnest question, "Who was that?"

"For a second there," Wendy mused, "_He was the most important person in the world, and the ironic thing is that he'll never even realize it_!

"So, are you going to keep Gideon's magic thingie? If you wanted, you can take over where he left off…"

Wendy stopped in her tracks and stared deeply into the jewel in her hand. After thinking about Mabel's suggestion, she reached back and hurled the necklace into the depths of the pitfalls beneath her feet.

"Nah. To be honest, I'd probably end up abusing its power anyways…"

Mabel and Wendy traded a series of much-needed giggles as they set off to reunite with their missing friends…

* * *

Dipper screamed and covered his face with his arms as vibrant colors flashed, blinding him. He fell through time and space, losing his breath in the process. As darkness quickly spread over him, Dipper seemed to be guided along by a familiar voice:

"DIP-PER!

DIP-PER!

DIPPER!"

A white light exploded before his eyes.

"BAH!"

As his vision cleared, Dipper found himself staring into the worried, dimpled face of his sweetheart, Wendy Corduroy; _His Wendy Corduroy_!

"Dipper!" she exclaimed, "You're all right!"

"Wha?" Dipper went to sit up, only to have his body ache and throb. He peeked around to see that he and Wendy were at the base of a deep hill in the middle of the Gravity Falls Forest. Dipper held the side of his head, "What happened?"

Wendy pointed out into the distance, "It looks like you had yourself a nasty spill…" A ruined trail dragged from the top of the mound all the way down to where he currently laid. "It looks like you hit your head pretty hard," She gently moved his brown bangs to the side, "You got a pretty wicked bump there…"

All of a sudden, all of his memories came flowing back: the magnificent metropolis, its creepy inhabitants, the battle with Gideon, and how it all changed his crush's life.

"Oh, Wendy!" Dipper rose up and firmly embraced the befuddled teenager, catching her off-guard.

"Hey, buddy…" she murmured to the boy resting with his head on her flannel covered shoulder as she gently squeezed back, "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm okay," Dipper pulled back to look Wendy in the eyes, "It's just that…was it all a dream? I mean…I'm not sure if you'd believe me…"

She lowered her brow at the child speaking gibberish at her, "But, you're alright?"

Dipper nodded in response, "Yeah…I guess…"

"Good…"

*WHACK*

"Oww!" The staggered child rubbed the shoulder where his hidden love had just slugged him one, "What was _that_ for?"

Wendy shouted back, "_That's_ for making me worry myself sick about you! You go storming out of the Shack before I get a chance to say anything, and you just disappear off the face of the earth! I spent the whole afternoon searching these woods to find you, and when I finally do, you're unconscious at the bottom of some knoll! Dude, how am I supposed to feel?!"

However, Dipper found himself caught up on her first sentence, "You – _You_ were worried about _me_?"

Upon hearing her own words repeated, Wendy started to blush, "Of course! But I mean, _everyone was_, but yeah, I was, too…"

Instead of celebrating, Dipper lowered his head, "So, I guess that means you're mad at me, huh?"

To his surprise, Wendy slid down and sat on the grassy floor next to him, "Funny enough, I was just about to ask you the same question." She let out a gasp of relief and gazed down at her admirer, "I didn't mean to make you upset. Stan just put me on the spot, and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights!"

Wendy crossed her arms and sunk down into the dumps, "I'm not exactly the best when it comes to being peer pressured…" She kicked a pebble lying at her boots, "It's just that…what I mean to say is…um…"

Dipper took a shot in the dark, "…you'll always have my back when it comes to the important things?"

Her emerald eyes broaden, "Hey, yeah! How did you know…"

"Hmm…let's call it a lucky guess?"

She beamed down on her friend and extended a fist, "So, are we cool?"

Dipper shook his head and bumped his hand into Wendy's, "We're cool…"

The slender female pushed off the floor with her palms, "Now that that's settled…" She reached down and offered a helping hand to her pal, "…we have to be getting back. Your uncle's probably going kill us for being gone so long!"

The youngster let Wendy lug him to his feet, "He's going to _kill us_?!"

"Not really," Wendy downplayed, "But he's probably going to scream his head off. _It is a work day_, after all…"

She noticed how Dipper's bearing plunged as they began the journey back home.

"But…"

Dipper's vision rose up towards the redhead towering over him.

"…who would be the wiser if you and I were to sneak out to the diner for a quick bite first? After all, it's not like Stan would know when I found you _exactly_ …"

A huge tooth-filled smile spread across his pie face. As the two walked hand-in-hand, Dipper remembered what the other Wendy had asked him to do:

_"…I want you to remind that special girl of yours of how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life!"_

He stole a peek at his secret crush, only to see that she was gazing down at him with absolute affection. Upon being caught, Wendy broke eye contact, and set her sights ahead, whistling a tune to herself.

"On second thought," Dipper reflected. "I don't think I have to; somehow, I think she already knows…"

* * *

In the distance, at the top of the highest tree, a circle of fire began to form. Crazed laughter boomed from within as a triangular shaped oddity burst forth.

"Man! What a story!" the dream demon known as Bill Cipher articulated as he relaxed comfortably on a branch. "It had everything! Action! Drama! Even a hint of romance!" He placed his thin black arm below his singular eye and pondered, "Overall, I'd give it three flaming skulls out of four!"

He watched as Dipper and Wendy walked side by side back to civilization, "Well, maybe the little brat learned his lesson about making extremely vague wishes out loud!" He narrowed his eye as the two adolescents faded into the distance, "That's right, _Pine Tree_. Enjoy your peace with _Ice Bag_ while it lasts!"

The menace let out another haunting chortle as he evaporated back into a ring of flames.

"Until next time, kids; 'til next time!"

_June 27, 2014 – July 20, 2014_


End file.
